Sliced Cucumbers in Ginger/Garlic/Chili Sauce

Marlon: In a blender/food processor, add some garlic, ginger and red chillies. Use about a 1/2 cup of each. (there's no need to peel anything as the skin of freshly washed ginger tastes really good). Add sugar to taste. The red chilli is powerful so try to use sugar to soften the blow. Uncle Ambrose uses 1 piece of chicken cube to intensify the flavor and a few drops of vegetable oil and some finely chopped lemongrass. Chop and grind well. Serve with cucumbers, steamed chicken, fried pork, cooked beef etc. The perfect sauce to have in the fridge. Enjoy!

The Sauce.

Ingredients:
Sliced Cucumbers
1/2 ginger
1/2 garlic
6-10 fresh red chillies (thumb size)
1 Chicken cube
Some salt, chopped lemongrass
1/2 cup Sugar (or brown sugar)
Some vegetable oil (a few drops will do to glisten the sauce)

Dessert: "Bubur Cha Cha" Origin: Malaysia

Scroll down to see recipe. Enjoy!
Tiger: Uncle Ambrose said Bubur Cha Cha is simply sweet potato soup richly flavoured with coconut milk and scented with fragrant screwpine (pandan) leaves. He loves eating the sweet potato and yam cubes which have been boiled to yummy softness and the sago pearls add lovely texture.
Marlon: Preparation is very easy and if you have a penchant for South East Asian desserts - bubur cha cha is a must. Meow.

Tiramisu!

Tiger: Wherre did you get this recipe, Uncle Ambrose?
Marlon: He got it from Food Network blog...I think by Giada de Laurentis.
Ambrose: Yep! And so delicious! Try it, dolls.


Ingredients
*6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
2 teaspoons dark rum
24 packaged ladyfingers
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
Directions
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.
Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.
Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
* Raw Egg Warning

Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.

Tiger: Uncle Ambrose said Bubur Cha Cha is simply sweet potato soup richly flavoured with coconut milk and scented with fragrant screwpine (pandan) leaves. He loves eating the sweet potato and yam cubes which have been boiled to yummy softness and the sago pearls add lovely texture. Preparation is very easy and if you have a penchant for South East Asian desserts - bubur cha cha is a must. Meow.


Ingredients:

1 medium sized yam, peeled and cubed
2 yellow sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 orange sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 can of coconut milk (we use fresh coconut milk when available)
8 cups of water
1/2 cup of sago
4 tbsps sugar or to taste
Pinch of salt
2 screwpine leaves (pandan leaves)

Method:

Firstly, boil the cubed yam in water with the screwpine leaves until slightly soft. Next, add the sweet potatoes and sago into the pot. Bring to a boil then turn heat to medium and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Test for softness of the potatoes. The sago will turn colour from opaque white to transparent. Add in the sugar and bring to a boil. Add more sugar if required. Finally, add a pinch of salt into the coconut milk then add the coconut milk into the pot. Bring to a boil. Serve hot or cold depending on your preferences.

Nasi kunyit or turmeric rice, after translated to English, is glutinous rice cooked with turmeric coloring and is usually served with coconut milk chicken curry or beef curry. Nasi kunyit is a famous dish not only among the Malays but also for the Chinese and Indian as well. Historically, the turmeric rice has long been considered a “sacred” dish that is offered for spirits at sacred sites. As a result, the turmeric rice has to be prepared with extra attention and care.

Today, the glutinous rice, usually served with chicken or beef curry, is a special dish at Malay weddings.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup glutinous rice
1 piece of dried tamarind skin (asam gelugor)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
500ml coconut milk (get fresh if you can)
100ml water
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
2 pandan (screwpine) leaves, knotted (optional but encouraged)
4-6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Method:
1. Wash glutinous rice thoroughly and transfer it to a big bowl.
2. On a pan, roast white peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick for about 2 minutes or until fragrant. You want to activate the oils in these herbs
3. Put the roasted ingredients in the bowl with the rice and throw everything else, except the pandan leaves, into the bowl and let it sit overnight or at least 6 hours.
4. Scoop the rice out with a sieve and transfer the rice and all the other ingredients (throw away the tamarind rinds) into a steamer with the pandan leaves and steam for 2 hours or until rice is done.
5. Serve it with your favorite curry

Brinjal Sambal (Sambal Eggplant)

Tiger: Uncle Ambrose, I love this. It smells fishy.
Ambrose: This is a classic Malaysian dish. I'll cook this for your aunt Peggy and Uncle Grass from Australia this weekend
Marlon; I can eat this dish also. It is good for my teeth.




Ingredients:
10 pcs brinjal (medium size purple eggplant) halved lengthwise
5 tbsp oil
2 cups dried prawns, soaked, cleaned and chopped

Spice Paste (ground)
5 fresh red chillies
5 large dried red chillies
2 cloves garlic
12 shallots
4 candlenuts
1 tsp belacan, toasted (dried shrimp paste)
2 table spoons water
2 table spoons sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Cut the brinjal as suggested above lengthwise and soak in a bowl of water to which has been added 1 tsp [ salt to prevent discoloration. Drain in a colander.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the brinjal until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Add the chopped dried prawns to the oil in the wok and saute until fragrant. Dish out. Set aside.

Add the spice paste to the oil remaining in the wok and saute until aromatic before adding water. Stir, and season to taste with sugar and salt.

Turn off the heat and return the fried brinjal and dried prawns to the wok. Stir to mix, dish out and serve immediately.

Banana-Jackfruit Lumpia with Rum Sauce and Green Tea Ice Cream

Frying Bananas:
In a frying pan (use 1 cup oil), deep fry 6 large bananas (halved) and 1 cup of ripe jackfruit (seeded) over light-medium heat until soft. Add 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/2 cup Jamaican Rum and 1 tablespoon of Whiskey. Transfer to a big bowl, let it cool for an hour.

Wrapping Bananas:
Using the lumpia wrapper, scoop a spoonful of the banana-jackfruit mixture onto the wrapper and roll (think summer rolls).
Using the same oil, deep fry the lumpia until light-dark brown. Let cool for 10-20 mins. Serve with a scoop of Green Tea Ice Cream.